Maglev Train

The 1st Vostonian Regiment followed Thierry's force, infiltrating the Underhive through an abandoned mine tunnel.

Thierry Vieira walked up to Nimrod and offered a suggestion.

"My lord, we have nearly four thousand men now, and your stature is immense."

"If we want to reach the Upper Hive quickly before the Mad King reacts, we must raid a train station and seize a Maglev Train."

"Lukpo Hive has a transportation system unlike any other Hive City. Every Maglev Train is 1.6093 kilometers long and can rapidly transport personnel, vehicles, or supplies."

Hatred colored Thierry's voice. "It is precisely because he possesses this technology that the Mad King can maintain his rule. When I waged guerrilla warfare, my greatest threat also came from it. Puhach could depart from the Hive Spire and reach any area of the Hive City within three standard hours."

"Fortunately, the Maglev Train moves too fast. Once a carriage is detached, it takes several hours, or even several Work Cycles, to finally stop through friction. I will hijack the carriage directly at a junction in the tunnels."

"Maglev technology was obtained by an ancestor of House Piatkowski when he excavated ruins. He acquired the sacred construction template for Maglev Trains from them. This unique technology is also the foundation of their house."

Nimrod nodded in approval of Thierry's plan. "Where is the nearest station?"

Thierry took out a Data Slate. After operating it for a moment, two routes appeared on it, curving upward.

"My lord, the nearest is D-404 Train Station."

"Following this route, the marching distance is 20.5 kilometers."

"But it requires passing through narrow ventilation shafts. You cannot take this route and can only use this detour, which has a marching distance of 31.4 kilometers."

Nimrod fell into contemplation, calculating at astonishing speed and formulating a plan.

A moment later, he spoke.

"Send a squad to guide us."

He looked at the eager company commanders behind him, then passed over them and looked at Szczesny.

"7th Company, you have been granted the honor of capturing this Maglev Train station."

"By your command, my king."

The 7th Company commander answered loudly amid the envious gazes of the others. Thierry swept his eyes over them, inwardly startled.

[The subordinates of this King Nimrod seemed to revere him beyond all reason. He had risen only recently—how had he achieved this?]

Thierry looked at the giant, then immediately understood. Nimrod, like a god of war, truly inspired worship.

Szczesny tightened his grip on his Las-rifle, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit. The opportunity had come.

He noticed Rawlslev pull the company commander aside. After giving him a few instructions, the commander, who had lost his right eye yet had not replaced it with a bionic one like the others, turned to look over.

The company commander with stitches running through his right eye walked back and shouted.

"Move out!"

Szczesny followed the company commander and guide onward, passing filthy sewage pits and crawling through narrow pipes. They stopped 1.4 kilometers from D-404 Train Station.

The man Thierry had sent to guide them spoke quietly to the 7th Company commander beside him.

"D-404 Train Station has five work teams. Two of them are guard teams, rotating shifts."

"Each guard team has one hundred and twenty-five guards."

He then opened the Data Slate again and introduced the station's structure to the commanders of 7th Company.

"Every train station in the Lower Hive uses a structure known as D-Standard. Their layouts are identical, consisting of guard rooms, platforms, entrances, exits, and other areas."

After listening, the 7th Company commander nodded. His single eye shifted from the train station back to the Data Slate's screen. After a moment, he spoke.

"4th Platoon, you will attack the guard room."

"Szczesny, your squad will conduct the assault."

Under the envious gazes of the others, Szczesny struck his chest with his fist.

After assigning tasks one by one, the company commander told all the commanders.

"Synchronize your watches. Attack in ten minutes."

"Now, infiltrate your tactical attack positions as you did in training."

He looked around, making sure they all performed the same gesture.

They extended an arm to their side, bent the elbow, raised a clenched fist to cheek level, and faced the palm toward the person giving the order.

The 7th Company commander said softly, "Move!"

Szczesny immediately returned to his squad and led his men toward their tactical attack point using concealed approach movements, taking advantage of stone pillars and other terrain.

At the appointed time, 7th Company launched their attack simultaneously.

Szczesny's Las-rifle fired a beam that struck one guard in the head beside the guard room door, while another sharpshooter in his squad took out the other.

He pulled out a flash grenade, dashed to the guard room, kicked the iron door open, hurled the grenade inside with all his strength, then rolled away and pressed his back against the wall.

A blinding flash erupted inside the guard room. The assault troops wearing Eyepieces were unaffected. Szczesny charged into the guard room first and pulled the trigger.

The guards raised their weapons and attacked wildly, but blinded as they were, their struggles were futile.

Fourteen minutes later, the battle ended. 7th Company had captured the train station, with only two Warriors unfortunately killed by stray shots.

Nimrod's main force arrived at the train station soon afterward. He came before the Warriors of 7th Company.

"Well done. You completed the mission."

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Nimrod's praise made the Warriors of 7th Company straighten their backs.

The force then came to the platform. When the Maglev Train was not activated, it was tightly connected to the tracks.

Its exterior did not look much different from an ordinary train, but its internal structure was unusual. The carriages were connected to the driver's cabin and each other through couplers, as they needed to be driven by a control panel.

"Board the train!"

Nimrod gave the order. Since the Maglev Train had been designed to transport vehicles as well, three of its carriages were taller. Nimrod opened the carriage connected to the driver's cabin and entered it, its height allowing him to stand upright.

Bukayo, Rawlslev, the 7th Company commander, and Thierry also boarded that carriage, while the others entered the carriages behind it.

The technicians under Thierry boarded the driver's cabin, and one of them brought up the control panel.

The control panel consisted of levers, wheels, and intricately engraved dials. The technician pulled a lever while reciting a prayer.

The sleeping Machine Spirit awakened. Maglev technology activated the recessed levitation plates, and the entire train slowly rose, hovering 2.54 centimeters above the rails.

"My lord, requesting departure."

After seeking Nimrod's approval, Thierry gave the order to the technicians.

"Depart."

The technician pushed the lever. The propulsion system accelerated into rotation at an astonishing speed, driving the Maglev Train into motion.

Along the way, Nimrod listened to the 7th Company commander's report, focusing in particular on Szczesny's performance.

Upper Hive B-19 Station.

The stationmaster had been leisurely drinking water when the alarm suddenly sounded.

Frowning, he picked up the communicator.

"Stationmaster, this is bad. A train not listed on the timetable is approaching at high speed."

"Activate the emergency interception protocol."

The alarm blared throughout the station. The garrison rushed into action, hurrying onto the platform and raising wire barricades.

The train rushing in at high speed smashed through the blockade in an instant.

The garrison commander naturally knew the wire barricades could never stop a high-speed steel monster. Seeing the train hijackers stop the train, he let out a sigh of relief and shouted.

"Prepare to attack!"

The next moment, his eyes widened as he watched a giant leap down from the train.

Official setting: Maglev Trains, also written as "Mag-trans," are mile-long Imperial magnetic levitation vehicles that run on fixed tracks. (Author's note: 1 mile equals 1.6093 kilometers.) Once the Machine Spirits of these vehicles are awakened, the train's magnetic levitation technology causes its recessed levitation plates to suspend the vehicle itself one inch above the tracks. (Author's note: 1 inch equals 2.54 centimeters.)

The above translation came from Bilibili translator nod1. Praise the translation court.